Yes, dads, don’t expect quite as many ties or chocolates this Fathers Day. Your celebration is yet another victim of the recession. However, note this: while moms “get” more on Mom’s Day per capita, spending on moms in 2009 was expected to be down 10% while spending for dads only will dip about 5%. Americans are expected to spend an average of $90.89 on gifts for dad, down slightly from $94.54 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $9.4 billion. Highlights from NRF’s 2009 Father’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey include: Consumers will spend the most ($1.9 billion) on a special outing such as a dinner or even a sporting event. Clothing still ranks...

Here are some funny dad rules for surviving Christmas, especially the one about doing something really nice to kick things off, listen to people say “you shouldn’t have,” and then “don’t” for the rest of the holiday. I do wish I understood what a “lilo” (#6) is however. Dad rules: surviving Christmas Andrew Clover Listen up. You’ve only a few days to prepare before you travel to enemy territory for Christmas. Here’s a checklist for survival: 1 The curse of Christmas is that there are always people more generous than you. And there’s always one random — eg neighbour, friend of Mum’s — who’ll shame you with chocolates. Be prepared:...

Just a few days left to get your shopping done. Here are some ideas if you’re short on time. 1. Go to the bookstore. Books are a great idea because you can wander the aisles and be prompted by book titles to think of the right subject for the recipient. A trip to a bookstore, even after work, or on a Sunday afternoon, is a relatively peaceful experience and you might even consider it a break in an otherwise hectic shopping day. Books also have an important advantage: they are easy to exchange or return for full refund. 2. Concert DVDs. Here’s an idea that not everyone thinks of especially for women. If you were the one to buy the 55 inch HDTV, a concert DVD is a perfect way to showcase...

Well, sorta… Excite Books (ExciteBooks.com) is a subscription book service that sends books monthly to your child, along with a few extra toys and goodies to keep him or her interested. Packages start at $4.95 per month and books are selected based on grade level and sex of child. ExciteBooks is the brainchild of Austin George, a commercial pilot, who has always had a commitment to education. Before founding Excite Books, George volunteered as a motivational speaker in schools, where he was often surprised at the lack of books in the school library. George created Excite Books to “add excitement and energy into a child’s reading activities by allowing the child to be an active...

What is it about the Shrek franchise that makes both kids and dads laugh out loud? All the Shreks have been good, mostly clean, family fare that work on both adult and kid levels. My kids and I watched Shrek the Halls last night and both my four-year old boy and eight year-old girl laughed through the whole thing. At one point, I even had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard. Clocking in at 22 minutes, this video is a a very short diversion that may even become a classic about the holiday season like “It’s a Wonderful LIfe” or The Grinch. At least you can tell yourselves that when you take a break from wrapping presents to indulge for a few minutes. The movie’s premise...